Email in: Weird thunderbubble list

"Hi Kirby

Been reading your blog on and off for a couple of months now-interesting stuff, and I like the relatively relaxed feel to the site and contributors.

So I'm loving the Thunderbubble stuff, and I've been thinking about running a list based on the concept, but with some weirdness of my own.

1750 points

Glad you like the blog and Thunderbubble is a fun build combining the strengths of Mech SM and the awesomeness of TH/SS. The issue at 1750 becomes balancing your army and the number of Terminators. 10 is too many (but super scary) and 5 is too few to be effective.

1 Librarian, terminator armour, storm shield, Null Zone, Vortex of DOOOM!!! (140 pts)

8 TH/SS Terminators (320 pts) (5 seems too few and ten two many at 1750)
1 Dreadnought, twin linked autocannon x 2 (125 pts)
1 Dreadnought, twin linked autocannon x 1, plasma cannon x 1 (125
points) (why plasma? just a bit of variation really, I hate blood angels/any units with feel no pain/power armour, and i don't have plasma on the razorback turrets yet)



Libby is fine and you're spot on with the Terminators. I'm not sure about running 8 as you have the issue of the unit being too big/powerful but it's a nice compromise between 5 and 10. I really don't like the Plasma Dreadnought though. PCs are a pretty decent weapon on Dreads but you've got a lot of scary ignore FNP firepower already from the Terminators and the best loadout for a PC Dread is a DCCW which doesn't really benefit the army either when you've got the Terminators. I'd really recommend rolling double TLAC

Tactical Squad (10 men), multi-melta, flamer, rhino (205 pts) (I don't know whether this multimelta is worth it here, never seems to do much, and might just swap it out for another missile lancuher and have a rhino missile box for the first couple of turns before the squad gets bored and feels it ought to go and get an objective or something)
Tactical squad (10 men), Missile launcher, flamer, Razorback w/twin linked lascannon (245 pts)
Tactical squad (10 men), Missile launcher, flamer, Razorback w/twin linked lascannon (245 pts)

Solid though LasPlas (when you can) is a better option for the Razorbacks. I'd leave the 10 man squad w/flamer, MM, Rhino but might change the RBack squads to meltagun and combi-flamer. It is a lot of points here but a very solid midfield and base of firepower from which the Terminators can operate.

Landspeeder, multi melta, heavy flamer (70 pts)
Landspeeder, typhoon missile launcher (90 pts)
Attack bike x2, both with multimeltas (100pts)

Predator, heavy bolter sponsons (85 pts)

Here's where the large Terminator squad comes in to hurt you. Your Fast Attack is too much of a rainbow. I'd rather see Typhoons or MM/HF speeders and with the style of play the TH/SS bubblewrap gives you, I'd lean towards the Typhoons (which also makes the melta on the Tacticals that much more important). Taking at least two Predators as well to add some anti-infantry and more ranged punch is a wise move with the rest of the points buying Typhoons. You should be able to get in 2 Typhoons and if not a bit of point tweaking (drop a Terminator for example) and you should be set.

I was running a variation of this with Vulkan and two MM/HF speeders instead of the typhoon/predator/attack bikes but it didn't really seem like I was making the most of vulcan, so he went back to the cupboard and I seem to have gone a bit mad spending the points on various bits and pieces found nearer the end of the list.

I know that your bubble lists generally run las/plas razorbacks, and when I get the chance I will convert some turrets to las/plas, but at the moment twin linked lascannons are the order of the day as those are the turrets i've got.

Vulkan + Libby is a huge expense IMO so hard to justify; particularly at 1750. I much prefer the only Libby list. The FA is the biggest area you need to re-vamp and understandable re: lasplas. TLLC isn't bad but it will certainly benefit your list to have the LasPlas.

There's quite a lot of poitns tied up in troops, but I think its fair to say that I like the 'cushion' of having slightly more men- seems to stop me sort of psychologically giving up if I have a couple of rubbish turns if I know that at least I've got a lot of power armoured giants knocking about.

The Vortex of doom is because I look saying DOOOOM!!! in games and because its worked quite well for me on the occassion where I've had the opportunity to use it. I think maybe I'm too gutless for the Gate on such a big termie squad- when I've used it people have made the most of the opportunity to line up hundreds of infantry in front of the newly teleported and stranded termies and toast them with weight of small arms fire.

Troops are fine. You do have a lot of points dropped into them but you've got quite a bit of offensive firepower coming from them and the rest of your slots so it's okay. You are also very strong in scoring with 30 scoring bodies spread over a possible six units and all meched up. Doom is an alright power and although I'd prefer other powers like Gate, it's not terrible. Null zone is going to be your primary power regardless.

Although there's not much direct duplication of units, I think it does have a bit of redundancy.

C&C would be most welcome if you have the time.

Thanks

hewn (in London, England)"